Sennheiser CX True Wireless review

Sennheiser is a brand closely associated with audio and with a great track record in the field so, with every new audio product the company releases, there is a level of expectation.

We got our hands — and more importantly ears — on the Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds to see if they're worth your cash. The results weren't quite as unanimous as we expected, but nonetheless, there's a lot to like about these earbuds.

Across a range of tests, from battery life to sound quality, set-up and more, the buds performed very well. We found one or two issues though, which will be discussed in detail in our review.

So, if you're tempted to purchase a pair for yourself, read on for our full verdict and the latest deals.

Jump to:

• Sennheiser CX True Wireless review: summary
• What are Sennheiser CX True Wireless?
• How much are Sennheiser CX True Wireless?
• Design
• Features
• Sound quality
• Battery life
• Set-up
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Sennheiser CX True Wireless review: summary

The Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds are a fantastic set of wireless buds, without quite threatening the very best the market has to offer. Overall, they deliver a great listening experience and only one or two shortcomings stop them from threatening those top-end competitors.

Sennheiser is a brand known for audio quality and these earbuds deliver plenty, but they don't quite measure up to the likes of the Sony WF-1oooXM4 buds, or the Grado GT220. However, they're cheaper than both pairs, so worth considering if you're looking for good earbuds on a budget.

The CX True Wireless earbuds have a fantastic in-ear fit. They're comfortable to use and easy to pair with your devices, but the case is a bit plastic-y and cheap compared to some competitors. It's not the most pocketable either.

Key features:

• Active noise cancellation
• 'Transparent Hearing' mode
• Touch controls
• Sennheiser app

Pros:

• Great in-ear fit
• Solid sound quality
• The Sennheiser app is simple and useful
• Good touch controls

Cons:

• Case feels cheap and hefty
• Bass could be clearer and more precise

What are Sennheiser CX True Wireless?

The Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds are an interesting pair of Bluetooth earbuds that come with touch controls, active noise cancellation and a handy user app.

Sennheiser has long been a brand known for its audio offerings and these earbuds — while not the brand's best — offer a good feature set and very listenable audio.

How much are Sennheiser CX True Wireless?

These earbuds started their life at around £120 but now, at the time of writing, you can get them for around £85 at Amazon. The opening RRP was perhaps a little high and as a result, seems to have tumbled faster than Sennheiser would have liked.

That said, they're now much better value for under £100.

• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £84.40 at Amazon
• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £99 at John Lewis
• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £119 at Currys

Sennheiser CX True Wireless design

A bit on the chunky side compared to AirPods, Galaxy Buds, or other competitors. Users may initially feel that the buds jut out too far from their ears, or look overly conspicuous. However, we found this was effectively combatted by quite how good the in-ear fit of the buds is. They fit snugly and comfortably, without requiring the constant adjustment that some earbuds do. Even during running, or extended exercise, the buds stayed locked tight into the ear, delivering good sound.

So, we liked the design of the buds, but the case they come in felt underwhelming. Compare its plastic shell to that of the Apple AirPods, or Sony's newly released LinkBuds — which come with a case that's both tactile and eco-friendly — and it seems like a corner has been cut. It's not as slim and pocketable as those popular competitors and doesn't feel like great quality either.

The case accrues scratches and marks very, very easily, which is an issue for something that's likely to be kept in your pockets with keys all the time.

Beyond the physical design, the in-app equaliser is easy to use, allowing you to tailor your own listening experience, skewing towards bass or treble to suit your own tastes. This is a solid addition and the app is easy to use on the whole.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless features

The CX True Wireless buds offer passable active noise cancellation, but it's far from flawless and plenty of sounds from the outside world will still be audible.

Flick into the 'Transparent Hearing' mode and the earbuds use microphones on the outside of the buds to relay the sound of the world around you into your ears. This is helpful if you're working from home and want to hear the door, for example. Or, if you're walking somewhere and want to remain aware of traffic when crossing the road. It's a good option to have, though we found that the mics picked up quite a bit of wind noise at times.

The touch controls on the Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds are some of the best we've come across. They're responsive and easy to use. A tap on the right earbud will play music, while the left will pause. Then there's skip a track or go back a track orientated the same way, with a double-tap on the right and left earbud respectively. Three taps activate the voice assistant and holding down increases or decreases the volume. The app allows you to customise these functions too and overall we found the touch controls were much easier to use than those on some competing earbuds.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless sound quality

Of course, sound quality is the key battleground for a pair of wireless earbuds — at least for a pair costing over £100. (The CX True Wireless Earbuds are now available more cheaply, at around £85.) In this case, our expectations were pretty high. While these aren't the most expensive buds out there, Sennheiser is known for audio quality and consistently delivers in the field. However, our high expectations weren't quite met in every respect.

That said, the CX True Wireless offer a sound that's very rich and listenable, especially at this price point. The buds that can beat them hands down, (the Sony WF-1oooXM4 buds, or the Grado GT220) cost almost double.

The volume range is very good and you're unlikely to be left wanting more in that department, but when it comes to sound quality the performance is slightly mixed. We found the buds performed very well in delivering clear vocals and mid-tones, even at high volumes. Carole King's iconic album, Tapestry showed off these traits well and was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to with the CX True Wireless earbuds.

When it comes to the low-end work, the buds are more powerful than they are precise. Listening to something like Welcome to Brixton, by SR, the earbuds are much more precise in their treatment of the vocals than the supporting bassline.

The slightly larger size of these earbuds seems to have made room for larger drivers, compared to some sleeker competitors, gifting them that bass punch and expansive volume range.

Ennio Morricone's iconic soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in the West showed off the treble capabilities of the CX True Wireless and again, we found them to be very listenable. The buds deliver across a reasonably wide soundstage, but again don't manage to challenge the best in the field.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless battery life

The Sennheiser CX True Wireless buds can deliver around nine hours of playback using the power in the buds themselves, with 27 hours in that hefty case.

That's a good offering that outdoes some of the competition. It's the benefit to the user that comes from that chunky case. Again, the case isn't overly large in and of itself, but when compared to the competition it's not a very pocket-friendly item.

During testing, we found the earbuds always held their charge for extended use and the case rarely needed recharging. If battery life is a key performance indicator for you as a user, these earbuds perform well.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless set-up: how easy are they to use?

The set-up of the CX True Wireless buds is simple and similar to many other buds you're likely to have used before. They can be connected through the settings panel of your phone, or you can download that aforementioned Sennheiser app which will hold your hand through the process.

We tried the earbuds with a selection of devices and the Bluetooth connection was consistently stable.

Our verdict: should you buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless?

At the new sub-£100 that the CX True Wireless buds now seem to occupy, they're a very good purchase. During testing, we found them highly listenable and enjoyed using the earbuds to stream music, video and audiobooks via Audible.

Yes, the bass could be cleaner and the case isn't very good, but the overall listening experience combined with the brilliant in-ear fit means we can happily recommend these earbuds. However, it's worth shopping around and trying to get them for less than that original £120 RRP.

Where to buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless

The earbuds are available from a wide array of UK retailers, but some are still offering the buds at their original price, so we'd recommend shopping around.

• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £84.40 at Amazon
• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £99 at John Lewis
• Buy Sennheiser CX True Wireless for £119 at Currys

For more on earbuds, check out our best wireless earbuds round-up. Or, to see the very best wireless earbuds out there right now, check out our review of the Sony WF-1000XM4.